Program Overview

Introduction to the Program

The Interdisciplinary Program of Studies 'Tourism and Culture Planning and Development' is primarily a specialization program for the undergraduate studies of the Departments that co-organize it, which are the Department of Spatial Planning, Urban Planning, and Regional Development, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries.

Objectives and Requirements

The program aims to cultivate the following abilities:

• Searching, analyzing, and synthesizing data and information.
• Understanding the concept of heritage, whether it refers to the human-made or natural environment.

Curriculum

The program consists of several courses, including:

• The Tourism as a Cultural Phenomenon: This course aims to cultivate the abilities of searching, analyzing, and synthesizing data and information. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Cultural Mediation in the Globalized Tourism Condition: This course is a critical introduction to the theories and practices of the relationship between culture and economy (tourism) with a focus on cultural mediation. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Cultural and Creative Industries: This course aims to explore the economic aspects of culture as they emerge through cultural and creative industries. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Mapping and Designing Routes: Soundscape, Visualizations, and Landmarks in Public Space: This course focuses on mapping and designing routes in public space, with an emphasis on the perception of the sound environment and its visualization. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• European Policies in Tourism and Culture: This course presents and discusses with students the environment of the European Union's operation and its policies related to tourism and culture. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Seminar on Methodology of Diploma Thesis: This course takes place over 6 weeks and has the option of remote attendance. Its purpose is to guide students in the preparation of their diploma thesis. It has 3 hours/week and 4 ECTS credits.
• Special and Alternative Forms of Tourism: This course aims to acquire special and new knowledge based mainly on the students' initiative. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Cultural Heritage and Landscape Management: This course aims to understand the concept of heritage, whether it refers to the human-made or natural environment. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Administrative Marketing: This course presents the principles, methodologies, and procedures of administrative marketing in the context of tourism. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.
• Leisure Activities and Urban Regeneration: This course critically assimilates issues of free time (one of the four main functions of urban planning) and its relationship to urban regeneration. It has 3 weekly teaching hours and 7 ECTS credits.

Program Structure

The program is structured into three semesters, each with its own set of compulsory and elective courses, culminating in a master's diploma thesis in the third semester.

Departments Involved

The program is co-organized by the Department of Spatial Planning, Urban Planning, and Regional Development, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries, all part of the University of Thessaly.

Contact and Location

The program is based at the University of Thessaly, with the secretariat located at Pedion Areos, Volos, Greece.